House electric



Aug. 25, 1925, 1,551,315

v H. K. KRANTZ SWITCH MECHANISM Filed June 10, 1922. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FhgZ.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR Haben? 1f. Hmm?.

' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,551,315 PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT K. -KRANTZ, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYL- VANIA.

SWITCH. MECHAN ISM.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,322. y

.'l 10 all tu hom it may concern Be it known that I, HUBERT K. KnAN'rz, a citizen of Athe United States, and a resident of Vilkinsburg, in the county of Alleglieny and State of Pennsylvania,l have in-V vented a new and useful Improvement inV Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to switch mechanisms and particularly to switch mechanisms o the safety enclosed type.

One object of my invention is to provide a switch mechanism of the enclosed safety type wherein the ho'using containing the switch and fuse mechanism is divided into separate compartments byV a barrier, the switch mechanism being mounted in one compartment and the fuse mechanism in the other compartment, and wherein the door for the fuse compartment is provided with a latch so interlocked with the switch mechanism that it cannot be moved to released position so long as the switch is in closed position. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch mechanism, having the above characteristics, wherein the door is provided with an interlocking member that is disposed between the switch mechanism and the latch for the door for preventing closing movement of the switch when the door is in open position. f

Another object of my invention is to provide an interlocking mechanism for the door r latch and switch that is simple in construcwherein the bottom of the housing is pro vided with openings that. are closed by pern forate insulating platesthrough which the conductors extend.

These and other objects, that will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention, are attained by means of the switch mechanism hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the switch mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the switch mechanism shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line II-II thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the switch mechanism taken on the line IIL-III of Fig. 2, showing a portion of the barrier broken away, and

Fig. l is a fragmental plan'view of the interlock mechanism.

. l Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a metal housing 5 that is divided ,into a switch compartment 6 and a fuse compair of toggle links 14: and 15 that are` adapted to be moved to open and to closed positionby means of a cam plate 16 which has a lost-motion connection with the knee pivot of the toggle.

A plunger 17 is pivotally connected to the knee pivot of the toggle links and is adapted to slide longitudinally of the housing and to be moved toward the fuse compartment when the switch is moved to closed position.

A door 18 is hinged to the side of the housing by means of hinges 19 andserves to close the fuse compartment 7.V A latch bar 21 is secured to the inner side of the door and extends longitudinally of the housing or parallel to the aXes of the hinges 19. One end of the bar projects beneath a flange 22 and serves to retain the door in closed position. The latch bar is normally held in closed position by means of a helical spring 23 that is disposed between a bracket 24 on the door anda colla-r 25 on the latch bar 21.

The plunger 17 is provided with an eX- tension 26 having aninwardly-turned wing 27 of less width than the extension. The extension operates through a notch 27 a cut in the outer edge of the barrier 8 and projects into the fuse compartment 7, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, when the switch is Vin closed position.' By reason of this construction, it willbe seen that, so long as the switch is in closed position, opening movement of the latch bar 21 is prevented by the wing 27. The latch bar 21 is vided with an operating handle 28.

The latch bar 21 serves to lock the side of the door adjacent to the end of the housing and itis, therefore, desirable `to provide means for latching the opposite side oi the door. For this purpose, a clip 29 is secured to the under side of the door and is provided with an offset portion 3l which engages one corner ot the extension 26 when the switch is in closed position.

ln order to interlock the door with the switch so that the door cannot be opened so long as the switch is in closed position, an interlocking bar 32 is pivoted to a bracket 33 that is secured to the inner side of the door 1S. The bar is provided, at its free end, with a slot 83a in which a pin 34 xed to la bracket extends. The bar is provided witlranotch 8G aligned with the wine 27 which .permits of movement thereor toward the latch bar 21. Slight opening movement of the door .18 causes the bar 32 l:to'be/movediacross the path of movement of the wing 27 rand prevents closingmovement of the switch so long as the'door is in other than closedposition. The bar 32 also serves to limit the opening movement of the door.

he `points at which the bar 32 is pivoted so related with respect to the hinge of the door that the bar 82'lies across the path of movement oit' the extension 26 when the door is in any position between open and closed positions.

ln addition tothe interlock Jfeatures of the switch mechanism, the housing is provided with an improved means for supporting the conductors entering the housing.

rlhe ends of the housing are provided with openings 37 and 38 that are closed by insulating plates 39 and tl, respectively. The plates are provided with perforations l2 through which the conductors 43, connected to the fuse and switch terminals, eX- tend. This arrangement eliminates the necessity `for having knockout openings in the ends of the housing and the bushings usually employed with such structures.

lVhile I have .described and .illustrated but one embodiment .or 'my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope el' my invention, vas set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. Switch mechanism comprising a housing having anopening therein, a movable door for the housing, a switch member movable to open and to closed positions, a latch member 4for the door normally yieldingly retained -in closed position, means on .the Vswitch member 'for preventing opening` movement ot the latch member when the switch member is in closed position and means actuated by the door and movable between the said means and the latch member for preclnding closing movement of Athe switch so long as the door is in other` than closed position.

2. Switch mechanism comprising a housing having an opening therein, a door lor closing the opening hinged at one side of the housing, a latch member carried by the door and slidable longitudinally o'l the housing and engaging the housing for retaining the door in closed position, a switch member within the housing movable to open and to closed positions, means actuated by the switch member movable longitudinally ot the housing for preventing releasing movement of the latch Amember when the switch member is in closed position, and means movable by the door transversely of the housing for preventing closingmovementof the switch member so long as the-door is in other'than closed position.

8. Switch mechanism comprising a housing having an opening therein, a door for closing the opening hinged at one side of the housing, a latch. member carried by the door and movable longitudinally oit the housing and engaging the housing iior fretaining the door in closed positioina switch member within the housing movable .to open and to closed positions, means actuated by the switch member movable longitudinally of the housing for preventing releasing movement of the latch member when the Switch memberis in closed position, and an interlocking bar pivotal ly connected to the door and to the housing and movable across the path of movement of the said means for preventing closing movement of the switch so long as the door is in other than closed position.

ll. Switch mechanism comprising a housing'having an opening therein, a door 'for closing the-opening .hinged at one side of the housing, a llatch member carried by the door and .movable longitudinally o't the housing and engaging the housing ior retaining the door in closed position, a switch member within the housing` movable to open and to closed positions, means actuated by the switch member movable. longitudinally of the housing ttor preventing releasing movement o'r' the latch member when the switch member is in closed position, and an interlocking bar pivotally connected to the door and to the housing and movable across the path of movement of the said means for preventing closing movement ol the switch so long as the door is in open posi.- tion, i

5. Switch mechanism comprising a housinghaving an opening therein, a door for closing the opening hinged at one side oit the housing, a latch member carried by the door and movable longitudinally or" the housing and engaging` the housing Ytor retaining the door in closed position, a switch member within the housing movable to open and to closed position, means actuated by the switch member movable longitudinally or" the housing for preventing releasing movement of the latch member When the switch member is in closed position, and an interlocking bar pivotally connected to the door and provided With a slot-and-pin connection to the housing and movable across the path of movement of the said means for preventing closing movement of the switch so long as the door is in open position.

6. Switch mechanism comprising a housing having an opening therein, a door for closing the opening hinged at one side of the housing, a latch member carried by the HUBERT K. KRANTZ. 

